The Korean Mind

Understanding a people and their culture through code words and language.

Today, South Korea as an economic, technological, and entertainment superpower. How, as a country, did they rebound from war, poverty and political unrest? And how can that success be replicated in other cultures? These answers can, in fact, be found in understanding the beliefs that Koreans hold close and the values they see significant. Author Boye Lafayette De Mente identifies the unique qualities that comprise the Korean identity and articulates their modern expressions of Korean culture and history in this book.

Organized alphabetically by topic, De Mente explains the critical cultural code words that make Korea the country it is today. Anyone interested in Korean etiquette whether for traveling or working will discover that their meanings extend far beyond superficial English translations to deeper interpretations.

Cultural code words include:

• Aboji, Ah-boh-jee — The "Father Culture"
• Anae, Ah-negh — Wives: The Inside People
• Han Yak, Hahn Yahk — The Herbal Way to Health
• Innae, Een-nay — A Culture of Enduring
• Katun Sosuy Pap, Kaht-unn Soh-suut Pahp — Eating from the Same Rice Bowl
• And over 200 more…

This in-depth discussion covers the concepts and principles that are integral to the Korean way of life and provides all the Korean history and insight necessary for those readers eager to learn the secrets of this resilient and burgeoning, yet little-understood nation.

Boye Lafayette De Mente first went to Korea in 1949 as a member of a U.S. military intelligence agency, and was involved with the country for more than six decades as a student, journalist, editor, lecturer, and writer. He is the author of more than thirty books including Survival Korean, The Korean Way in Business, and Etiquette Guide to Korea.

Laura Kingdon is a graduate of Yonsei University's Korean Language Institute. She has designed curricula and taught English as a Second Language to students of all ages, ranging from university students in Kazakhstan to elementary school children in Korea.